The Opelousas courier., 1887-10-01
The Angel Of the Crimea.

Ac iittlC SHl WIS HdIHcu lUfCHCc, lOl
the city of her birth. Most of her time
she spent at her fathers home in Eng
land, where he instructed her carefully
in her studies. She grew up a we'll
educated girl, pretty and rich; but she
did not care to be a painter, or a poetess,
or a singer. All her thought seemed to
be how she might please and help those
about her who needed help or comfort.
She was fond of all the animals, and
SO gentle, that they seemed to be equally
fond of her. One day she found in the
cottage of an old shepherd a ~favorite
sheep-dog Cap, whose leg had been SO
badly hurt by a stone hat his master
thought it was broken and he would
have to hang the poor creature to put
him out of pain. But Florence went to
see the dog, and found that the leg was
not brokehsAsRly very much bruised and
swollen. She found an old flannel petti-
coat and tore it ints7aftrips; then wrung
them out in hot water aanlaid them ten
derly on poor Caps swoIftAlsg. In a
few days he was well again ans able to
tend his sheep. ~
Sometimes F%lorence's family passedG
season in London; and here, instead of
giving all her time to concerts and par
ties, she would visit hospitals and be-
nevolent institutions. When the family
travelled in Egypt she came across several
sick Arabs, and took care of them until
they were well. No doubS these poor
Arabs thought the English girl was a
saint sent down from heaven.
By-and-by she began to realize the
need Of studying the business of taking
care OF the sick; just as one would study
medicine, or law, or any other profess
sion; and as her family travelled in Italy
and France and Germany, she visited the
different asylums and hospitals, care
fully noting the treatment given in each.
Then she spent several months in a great
hospital on the Rhine, and took a thor
ough course of instruction, SO that when
she came back to her home in England
5fe knew more about taking care Of sick
people than most of the doctors. In
London there was a hospital for sick
governesses; but nobody seemed very
interested in these poor overworked
teachers, and the hospital was about to
fail for lack of means. But Florence
Nightingale took hold of the enterprise.
and gave her time ard money to it for
several years, until by Eer efforts it was
last made prosperous.
@Then came that war against Russia@
which took place on the peninsula of
.rimea. England sent out shiploads of
men TO the Black Sea to fgt with Rus
but in the hurry to CT away very
little thought was taken to provide
proper food or clothing, and in the des-
country to which they went both
and animals suffered. After the
iFst winter cholera broke out, and in
camp it was 80 terrible that twenty
men died in twenty four hours. During
the stormy weather matters were worse:
vater sometimes foot deep in the tents;
be trenches turned into dykes, and the
nen obliged to wade in them twelve
Tours at time without warm or water
roof clothing-and dying by hundreds
without help or care, save from their
onarades IN misery; the sick tended by
be sick the dying By the dying. Dur !
ng q fearful winter, with snow three :
eet thick, many were frozen In their :
ents; and, out Of forty-ive thousand. :
aore than eighteen thousand were re- !
orted in the hospitals-more Of thesiek 9
han the wounded. %
The English nation was aroused at this
late of things. Money was ready, but !,
loney was not everything. The secre- :
ary of war knew that d woman's hand ]
ed q woman's brain was needed at the !
'riFnea; but would a rich, refined lady
herself in frail health-leave her home !.
u cd thousands of miles to live in )
'vezish hospitals where there were only /
and care for the sick and dying2 !
! last the secretary 81 wa wrote Is
florence Nightingale ssThere is only !
person ii England capable Of organ !.
and directing such q plan. I have d
simple question to ask Could you
, ont yourself and take charge Of
'arythIng2 You will have absolute au
|ority over aIl the nurses unlimited e
'wsr e draw or the government; and 2
} may assure you III the cooper
lon RI tM medical staff Yonr pel
|nal quals 81 your knowledge, Is pl
81 authority III admiaistrativ No affair:
! q you ~ this position,
WAt tfae. was 1 areas work u
eEfoFaed # nesasa / pFeat e